The present invention relates to sticks of the type used in ice hockey or similar games and, more particularly, relates to an improved blade design.
For many years hockey players have been using hockey sticks having curves in the blade on the forehand side. This forehand curve enables players to project a hockey puck with greater accuracy on a forehand shot, as compared to a stick with no curvature, known as a neutral stick. For various reasons, as explained in U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,250 to T. B. Lawson, the curvature of hockey stick blades has now been restricted by hockey officials.
While curved sticks improved forehand shots for most hockey players, they simultaneously increased the difficulty of projecting a puck with a backhand shot. This is due to the fact that, due to the concave forehand curve, there was less flat blade area on the backhand side to use for hitting or slapping the puck. Further, the forehand curve makes it more difficult to hold or control the puck from the backhand side. This is particularly true for school-aged players.